Rearranging Fate | Tokyo Revengers x OC

08 • Hanagaki Takemichi

"Rei's not a nice guy," Draken stated while they were eating at some restaurant, unaware that Takemichi was eavesdropping and spying on them. "Why are you so interested in him? He's not Takemitchy. He doesn't remind you of Shinichiro-kun."

Mikey continued to chew on his food, clearing his plate before answering, "None of you are like my bro, but I like you all." Because that was it. Yes, Takemichi resembled his brother in more ways than one. But no matter how much resemblance Takemichi had with his brother, Takemichi was Takemichi, and Mikey found him interesting in his own way. The same way he liked the rest because they were them. "Reichin is Reichin. He doesn't need to be like Takemitchy or my brother for me to be interested, right?"

"Well, yeah, but why?"

"Back then, Reichin was holding back. I could see it." Or rather, he could feel it, the way the boy had restrained himself from using everything he had. "He looked like he wanted to fight and back down at the same time." Not unlike a confused beast, Mikey noted with amusement. "Guys who fight with all their strength and still lose...we see lots of them. But guys who have to hold back otherwise someone might die...I think Reichin is similar to me."

There was something about Tosei Nagarei that sparked something within him, and Mikey wanted to find out what it was. Whether he would destroy or accept whatever he would find was for his future self to decide. For now, Mikey just wanted to dig through all of Nagarei's layers and find out what he was hiding.

The waiter came with the bill and the conversation dropped. The blond duo, along with their blond stalker, left for the hospital where Takemichi saw a middle-aged woman, Pahchin's friend's mom, lying on an ICU bed.

"Eleven stitches in the head, nineteen broken teeth, dislocated jaw, detached left retina, fourteen broken ribs, broken arms and legs, dislocated shoulders, a crack in her skull, blunt force trauma, bent spine, and beatings all over her body," Draken listed with a heavy sigh. "Then, the reports of a family being robbed and strung up. Osanai couldn't attack Pah's buddy, so he went after his parents."

The police were on the case, but it was rather hard to lash out full punishments when the culprits were minors. Plus, the police had better things to deal with than some no-name gang of teenage delinquents. Thus, the victims were left unsatisfied and suffering losses. So, it was no wonder the woman's husband lashed out at Mikey and Draken upon seeing them near the room where his wife was being treated.

After that, Takemichi witnessed how the fearsome Draken bowed and apologized to a man for getting his wife involved in their gang fight.

"You think bowing is gonna solve this, you maggot?!" The man yelled, pointing his finger at Draken, who was bowing ninety degrees. "My wife almost died because of you bastards, and you think bowing will fix everything?!"

"Don't bow to him, Ken-chin," Mikey replied. "We didn't do anything wrong. What's this old man taking it out on us for?"

Draken then grabbed Mikey's head and forced it down, holding it still to make Mikey bow too, ignoring the president's protest. "We're very sorry about what happened. It's entirely our responsibility."

Because regardless of what Mikey and Toman said, it was their fault. Pahchin's friend got attacked because he was Pahchin's friend, because Pahchin was affiliated with Toman, and because Moebius wanted to start a fight with Toman. It was their fault for not taking care of their own, and it was their fault that others had to be hurt because they were affiliated with them.

"My wife...she's been in a coma since then...my son won't even talk to me and my other children blamed him." The man clenched his fists, tears streaming down his eyes. Even so, his anger didn't subside. "My family's been completely ruined and it's all your fault! Leave! I never want to see you again!"